After the affair, Maria Reynolds receded into the annals of history, but we do know that she later divorced her then imprisoned husband and her divorce lawyer was none other than Aaron Burr, the man who would mortally wound Hamilton in a duel. He inexplicably provided many intimate details about the affair, which in the end greatly wounded his reputation. In what was one of the first political sex scandals in the United States, Hamilton admitted to the affair with surprising candor and published letters between himself and Maria in order to deny any treasury wrongdoing. My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his privity and connivance, if not originally brought on by a combination of the husband and wife with the design to extort money from me.” “The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper pecuniary speculation. James Reynolds soon accused Hamilton of treasury misconduct which led to Hamilton admitting and apologizing for the affair (the lesser of the two evils) in a pamphlet he wrote and published. The affair lasted two more years and Hamilton paid over $1,000 to James Reynolds to continue the affair without interference. James Reynolds threatened to go to the press unless Hamilton gave him money. Reynolds had not been abandoned by her husband however, and some historians, in addition to Hamilton himself, have argued that the two conspired to blackmail Hamilton. He did, and that’s when the affair began. He said he would bring her food and money later that evening. In 1791, Hamilton met 23-year-old Maria Lewis Reynolds who told him that her husband had abandoned her and her daughter. I don’t’ think the story of Maria Reynolds and Alexander Hamilton is a story of star crossed lovers. Surely Maria Reynolds was at least partially responsible for severely damaging the reputation and political career of her husband. I felt empathetic toward Elizabeth Hamilton. I had not thought about Alexander Hamilton in some time, but I recently visited Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site in Albany where Philip Schuyler’s daughter Elizabeth married Alexander Hamilton in 1780. I mean, can you imagine coincidentally having the name Monica Lewinsky in 1990s? If I had lived in the 1790s I might have minded. Since I was named after the Julie Andrews character in The Sound of Music, I’m fairly certain my parents were not aware of the Maria Reynolds who preceded me, but I do not mind. I did not, but I had discovered my historical namesake – my personal connection to history.
Once he realized I wasn’t joking and I was entirely clueless, he explained: “Did you know Maria Reynolds was the name of Alexander Hamilton’s mistress?” I wondered how I could have provided the wrong answer to the simplest of questions. He looked at me a little funny and said, “Maria Reynolds?” “Hello, Maria Reynolds, nice to meet you,” I offered. During a meet and greet with the history department, I met a historian of antebellum America and introduced myself. I had decided to major in history long before I knew I had a historical namesake, but that detail was one of the first things I learned in college.
This story isn’t about an ancestor, or a history connection to my home town, it’s about a woman with a more unique connection to me, one who shares my name. Making a personal connection with the people we read about and study is a common impulse for history lovers. We might begin to read about the Underground Railroad after discovering stations in our hometown. We might be interested in World War II after hearing grandpa’s war stories. In the study of history, a personal connection is often what draws us in to begin to explore a subject, place, or era.
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